Marketers at forefront of bid to alter booze culture

Retailers, alcohol brands and pub operators have formed an alliance as part of a renewed attempt to convince the Government it can use marketing to positively influence attitudes towards drunkenness.

The alliance, which will include Diageo, Tesco and JD Wetherspoons pubs, is due to meet the Home Office, Department of Health, Department of Culture Media and Sport and the Department for Children, Schools and Families to examine the potential for the industry to support Government-led anti-binge drinking campaigns.

The meeting on April 24 follows a summit in November last year hosted by Prime Minister Gordon Brown, where the alcohol industry met to discuss socially responsible campaigning (MW October 25, 2007).

The latest summit will be led by the Portman Group and manufacturers, including Bacardi Martini and InBev, retailers, including Asda, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, and pub operators such as Punch Taverns and Mitchells & Butlers.

Trade bodies the British Beer & Pub Association, the Wine & Spirit Trade Association and the British Retail Consortium will also be at the meeting, as will public health minister Dawn Primarolo.

This initiative marks the first occasion that the marketing community has made such a concerted effort to pitch the positive force of advertising and how the industry could influence public awareness of the sensible drinking message.

Portman Group chief executive David Poley says: “We are exploring new ways that the industry can influence young adults’ drinking. Marketing can be used as a positive force to transform our drinking culture. We will assess how the industry can deliver long-term change.”